Fluid-delivery apparatus.



No. 786,881. .PATENTED APR. 11, 1905. R. L. DURAN.

' FLUID DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APIPLI OATIOH FILED MAY 20, 1901.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

M m m 0/ PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

' .No. 786,881 I I R. 'L. DURAN.

. FLUID DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOK FILED MAY 20, 1001.

2 SESBTBf'SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES Patented April 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE,

ROBERT L. DORAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND,

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ACORN BRASS MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FLUID-DELIVERY APPARATUS...

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 786,881, dated April11, 1905.

Application filed May 20, 1901. Serial No. 61.032.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT LAWRENCE Do- RAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, in theState of 5 Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-DeliveryApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of the IQ specification.

The invention has for its object more particularly to provide animproved apparatus for supplying gasolene or like volatile inflammableliquids to explosive-engines or to illuminating-burners, although,manifestly, the invention will be susceptible of use in othersituations. One serious objection to the use of gasolene is that therules of the insurance companies with respect thereto are such that 2but a very small quantity may be in open connection with the main of anengine or lighting system at any one time. Thus, for example, in manyplaces these rules forbid the open connection with the main fordelivering gasolene of a tank of a larger capacity than one gallon.

The object of this invention is, primarily, to combine with the main fordelivering gasolene to an engine, to illuminating-burners, or the 3 l1keof plural. tanks or chambers connected with the main in such manner thatwhen one of said tanks is delivering gasolene to the main communicationfor the passage of gasolene from the other of said'tanks to the mainwill be cut off.

Another object of the invention is to provide the tanks ,with means forsupplying the gasolene to the main under superatmospheric pressure.

These objects of invention are accomplished by the features hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out ,in the claims at the end of the specification.

While I have described what I regard as the preferred embodiment oftheinvention, it is manifest that its details may be varied by the skillof the mechanic, and to such details, therefore, I do not wish theinvention to be understood as restricted.

Figure 1 is a view in vertical elevation through the fluid-deliveryapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, invertical section, through the four- Way-valve mechanism whichispreferably employed in carrying out this invention. Fig. 3 is a view inside elevation showing a modified structure embodying features of thisinvention. Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section of a three-way cock usedwith this modified construction.

In Fig. 1, A'designates a supply-tank in which the main supply ofgasolene or like fluid may be maintained, preferably, under a suitablesuperatmospheric pressure suflicient to cause the flow of the gasolenethrough the main into which it is to be ultimately delivered. For thisreason the tank A is shown as equipped with a pressure-gage a, and itwill be provided also with a suitable delivery opening a. Beneath thesupply-tank A are placed plural delivery -tanks B and B, that will beconnected with the supply-tank and withadelivery-main O in such mannerthat when communication for passage of gasolene is established betweenthe main O and one of the delivery-tanks B, for example, the otherdelivery-tank B will be closed against passage of gasolene therefrominto the main.

Preferably the connections between the supply-tank A, the delivery-tanksB and B, and

- the delivery-main C, bywhich the gasolene or Figs. 1 and 2, the bottomof the tank A is connected, by a pipe a, to a four-way-valve casing D,this casing being shown as formed with the ports a, (Z, (Z and (Z Withthe port d is connected a pipe 6, that leads to the delivery-tank B, andwith the port (Z is connected a pipe 6, that leads to the deliverytankB, while the port (Z is connected, by a suitable coupling, with thedelivery-main C, whereby the fluid will be delivered to the engine orburners at which it is to be consumed.

\Vithin the valve-casing D is mounted a revoluble valve D, the stem ofwhich extends outside the casing and is furnished with a handle (Zwhereby the valve D may be conveniently manipulated. The valve D isformed with the channels (Z and (Z that are preferably arranged as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawingsthat is to say, the arrangement of the channels(Z and (Z is such that the channel (Z serves to establish communicationbetween the ports (Z and (Z in order that gasolene may pass from thetank A to the delivery-tank B and serves also to establish communicationwhen the valve D is turned a quarter-revolution between the ports CZ and(Z when communication will be established between the tank 13 and thedelivery-main (J. In like manner the channel d will establishcommunication between the ports (Z and (Z when the tank B is to befilled and will establish communication between the ports (Z and cl whenthe tank B is to discharge into the delivery-main G. As shown, thedelivery-tanks B and B are connected, by equalizing-pipes and 6 with theupper portion of the supply-tank A, so that the same pressure will existin the several tanks A, B, and B. It will be understood, of course, thatby turning the controllingvalve D an eighth-revolution all the ports (Z,d, and (Z will be closed, so that there will be no communication betweenthe supply-tank A and the individual tanks D and D or between theseindividual tanks and the main C.

From the foregoing description the operation of the form of my inventionabove set forth will be seen to be as follows. it being assumed that thesupply-tank A has a charge of gasolene therein under superatmosphericpressuresay sixty pounds to the square inch. 1f now the valve be in theposition shown in the drawings, there will be a free passage forgasolene between the supply-tank A and the delivery-tank B through theport (Z, channel (Z port d, and pipe h; but at such time communicationbetween the main 0 and the delivery-tank B will be cut off by the valveD. At such time, however, the tank B' will be in communication with thedelivery-main C by the pipe 6, port (Z, channel (Z and port d; but thevalve D will not permit the passage ofgasolene from the supply-tank A tothe delivery-tank B. Inasmuch, however, as the equalizing-pipes b and 6connect the upper parts of the tanks B and B with the upper part of thetank A, the superatmospheric pressure within the tankA will becommunicated to the surface of the gasolene in the tank B,

thereby causing the gasolene to flow freely thence into the main (1.When the volume of gasolene has been withdrawn or approximatelywithdrawn from the delivery-tank B, the valve D will be shifted, so thatits channel (Z will establish communication between the ports (Z and (Zof the valve-casing, thereby permitting the gasolene to pass from thetank A into the tank B, the valve .1) closing communication between theports (I and (1 at such time. This movement of the valve D will closethe communication between the ports (Z and (Z of the valve-casing,thereby shutting off the flow of gasolene from the tank A to the tank B,but at the same time open communication, by the channel (Z between theport (Z and the port (7", thereby permitting the gasolene from the tankB to now discharge into the delivery-main C.

\Vhile the construction above described cmbodies what I regard as themost effective form of the invention, it is manifest that the detailsmay be modified and features may he omitted without departing from thescope of the invention. Thus, for example, referring to the constructionshown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is obvious that one of the delivery-hmks B,for exan1plemight be omitted or temporm'ily put out of action, and insuch case the valve D would first be turned, so as to cause the gasoleneto flow from the tank A, through pipe Z), into tank B untilsaid tank Bwas filled. Then the valve D would be shifted, so as to cause thechannel d to connect the ports 15 and (1", thus placing the tank B inopen communication with the main (1. This modilied construction wouldstill accomplish the object of the invention so far as connecting themain with plural tanks or chambers in such manner that when one of thetanksB, for example-is delivering to the main communication for thepassage of gasolene from the tank A to the main would be cut off andwill accomplish also the object of providing means whereby the gasolenewill be supplied to the main under superatmospheric pressure.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawingsplural tanks B and B" are used, and these tanks are connected with thedelivery-main C by suitable valve mechanism, whereby when one of thetanks or com- 1 )artments-B for exampleis in open communication with themain G theother tank or compartment B will be cut off thercfrmn.Preferably the valve mechanism comprises a three-way-valve casing Dcontaining a revoluble valve D", this valve being formed with channels(i and d". The tank B is connected with the valve-casing l)" by a pipeI), while the tank B is connected with the valve-casing by apipe B. Byreferring to Fig. a it will be seen that when the valve 1) is turned tothe position there shown gasolene may pass from the tank B by pipe 6,through the val ve-casing D by channel (1, to the main 0, and at suchtime the tank B will be cut ofi from communication with the main 0. If,however, vthe valve D be turned, so as to cause the channel 0Z to comeopposite the pipe I) and main C, then gasolene may pass from the tankB", through pipe 6 through channelol of the valve-casing to the main C,the tank B being at such time cut off from the main C. The tanks B and Bare connected together by an equalizing-pipe 6 having a port 6 formedtherein at a suitable distance above the bottom of the tank B The tank Bis also pro vided with a pressure-regulator a and a delivery-pipe a, thepipe at being shown as communicating with the top of the equalizing-pipe6 The capacity of the tank B is shown considerably larger than that ofthe tank B as the tank B is designed'not merely to hold a supply ofgasolene, (say one gallon,) but also to hold a charge of air aboveatmospheric pressure. In filling the tanks gasolene will be delivered bypipe at and will first pass through pipe 6 into tank B until said tankis approximately full. The gasolene will then pass through the opening 6in the pipe 6 into the lower part of the tank 13 and until it reachesthe level of the top of the opening Z). Air under pressure will thenbedelivered to the tank B after which the delivery-pipe a will beclosed. J If now the valve D be turned to the position shown in Fig. iof the drawings, gasolene will' pass from the tank B to the main (3,asabove described, and when the supply of tank B is exhausted thevalve 1) will be shifted so as to close communication between the tank Band the main (3. When the tank B is thus placed in communication withthe main C, the pressure of air passing through the equalizing-pipe b tothe top of the tank B will force the gasolene from such tank into themain C, It is obvious that by properlyturning the valve D the supply ofgasolene may be entirely cutoff from the main C.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is'

1. A fluid-pressure apparatus of the character described, comprisingupper and lower tanks, a pipe extending from each of said tanks, adelivery-main, a multiway valve connecting said pipes and said main, andan equalizing-pipe connecting the upper portion of the uppermost tank tothe upper portion of the lower tank.

2. A fluidpressure apparatus of the character described, comprisingupper and lower tanks, the uppermost tank being of greater capacity thanthe lower tank and serving as a holder for both liquid and air, a pipeextending from each of said tanks, a delivery main and a multiway valveconnecting said pipes and said main, the upper part of said uppermosttank being connected to the tank beneath it.

3. In fluid-delivery apparatus, the combination with a supply-tank, ofplural deliverytanks, suitable pipes for passage of gasolene or likeliquid connecting said delivery-tanks to said supply-tank and with adischargemain, equalizing-pipes extending between said supply-tank andsaid delivery-tanks, and suitable valve mechanism whereby when thesupply of gasolene or like liquid is admitted from the supply-tanln toone of said deliverytanks connection between said supply-tank and theother of said delivery-tanks is cut' off and said delivery-tank thus cutofi from the sup-. ply-tank is placed in communication with thedelivery-main.

ROBERT L. DORAN.

Witnesses ALBERTA ADAMIoK, THoMAs FLAGK.

